MARBLES
Which of these is not a type of marble used for play: aggie, cat’s eye, sheep’s wool, or clam broth?
Clam broth is one of the most popular marbles for collectors due to its contrasting milkywhite and swirling colors.
Traditional forms of the game of jacks include play with animal bones as well as what plant-growing small items?
Seeds Egyptian children sometimes used apricot seeds, while early versions of the game in Eastern Europe traditionally used cleaned bones.
Which game is similar to pick-up sticks: pogo, Mikado, or Jenga?
Mikado Both games of skill involve releasing sticks into a random pile and picking them up one by one.
Which of these is not a real term in the game tiddlywinks: winker, squidger, bobble, or squop?
Bobble The game is played by winkers, who use a large disk called a squidger to click smaller colored disks called winks. Squopping is covering one wink with another.
A French variation of hopscotch, called escargot due to its spiral shape, is named for what creature?
Snail The spiral shape invites players to jump inward to a central resting space and back out again.
Twelfth Night, a play by what early playwright, mentions marbles?
William Shakespeare In ancient Egypt, marbles was played using stone or polished nuts.
How many prongs are on a typical jack in the modern version of the game?
Six Modern jacks are often made of plastic or lightweight metal.
On what continent did the modern version of pick-up sticks (called spillikins) originate?
Europe Played with reeds or straw, the best-known version of spillikins originated in the 18th century.
True or false? Prestigious learning institution MIT was once known for its fiercely competitive tiddlywinks players.
True The school has a history of serious winking. Though there are no longer any active clubs, MIT alumni continue to compete and keep the tradition alive.
In the English version of hopscotch, what part of the diagram is the “scotch”?
he lines (scratches) The players must therefore hop over the scotches, meaning they may not jump on the lines.
During what century were glass marbles first produced?
he 19th century The story goes that glassmakers used leftover bits to create marbles for their children.
Which of these items is not a typical game piece for playing jacks: rubber or wooden ball, jacks, or game board?
Game board Most versions of the game involve bouncing a ball and picking up jacks before the ball bounces.
How are the sticks set up in the beginning of the game?
Held vertically in a bundle and then released (not thrown) The goal is to create a dense, random pile that makes it challenging to retrieve the sticks.
Approximately how many tiddlywinks patents have there been since the 1880s: 25, 80, or 300?
80 Although the game is fairly simple, regional names and differences in gameplay lend variety.
What jumping game often involves chanted rhymes, like “Cinderella, dressed in yellow, went upstairs to kiss a fellow”?
Jump rope The jumping rhymes help players keep rhythm. The game became popular in the early 1900s.
What is a marble used for in a can of spray paint?
As a mixing ball The marbles in cans of spray paint are made from metal or ceramic material. Marbles are also important in some air and water filtration methods, so they are not just for kids
In what area of the world is a similar game played with bags of rice, sand, or beans?
East Asia Japanese and Chinese versions of jacks involve tossing a bag of grain and picking up others while it is aloft.
True or false? Sticks used in Mikado have assigned point values.
True The harder a stick is to retrieve, the more points it is worth, ranging from 10 to 50 points.
What famed Irish author refers to tiddlywinks in his 1922 novel Ulysses?
James Joyce He must have been a tiddlywink enthusiast, because the game is referenced again in Joyce’s later work Finnegan’s Wake.
What jump rope game is played with two alternating ropes?
Double Dutch This variation dates back at least to Dutch settlers in America in the 1600s.
What ancient civilization in the Mediterranean used clay balls for marbles?
he Romans Clay replaced nuts and was then replaced with stone from German quarries
Which of these is another name used globally for jacks: Cinco Marias, Statues, or Skippyroo Kangaroo?
Cinco Marias This version of jacks is played in Brazil and uses five stones or beanbags in place of the spiky jacks we know.
What nursery rhyme is believed to be the origin of the name pick-up sticks?
“One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” The counting rhyme includes the words “five, six, pick-up sticks.”
In which European country is tiddlywinks called flohspiel, with some variations played with a wooden shoe?
Germany An additional German variation of tiddlywinks in Germany involves playing with candy wrappers from the Ritter Sport chocolate company.
Which of these is not an international name for hopscotch: rayuela, mondo, or lupi?
Lupi Lupi is an Italian variation of tag; its name translates to “wolves.”